Donald murray



(No Model.)

D. MURRAY.

NECK YOKE HOLDER FOR WAGON TONGUES.

No. 592,476. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

Uivimnn STATES PATENT rFicE,

NECK-YOKE HOLDER FOR WAGON-TONGUES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,476, dated October26, 1897.

Application filed March 1, 1897.

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD MURRAY, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Maple Creek, in the Province of Northwest Territoryand Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement inNeck-Yoke Holders for \Vagon-Tongues and the Like, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in neck-yokeholders for wagontongues and the like, and has for its object to providea cheap, simple, and effective device of this description which may besecured to the outer end of an ordinary vehicle-tongue and greatlyfacilitate the attachment and detachment of the yoke-chains of theharness to the pole and obviate the disadvantage heretofore experiencedof the lines catching in the projecting parts of the head, as well asthe detachment of the yoke chains should the traces become broken ordetached.

lVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective of a tongue havin g my improvement appliedthereto, and Fig. 2 a section of the head secured in place upon thetongue.

In carrying out my invention I construct the head or ferrule Ain twosections divided longitudinally, so that it maybe placed around theouter end of the pole B and secured thereon by means of the rivets O.The outer ends of these sections terminate in the sectional hooks D,which when the head is secured in place form a single hook composed ofthese two sections, and this hook is so shaped as to readily receive theyoke chains or rings E, carried thereby, in hitching a team to thetongue, and in order that the rings may be held in engagement with thehook a dog F is pivoted between the sections of the head, as

$erial No. 625,455. (No model.)

indicated at G, the heel H of which is adapted to close the hook, so asto form a complete eye in which the ring shall be held.

A plug I is fitted to slide within the head and is provided with a lugJ, which projects into engagement with the notch K, formed in the dog,so that when this plug is elevated the dog will be so revolved as tocause its nose L to force the rings of the chains downward, therebyfacilitating their disengagement from the hook, while at the same timethe heel H of this dog will be withdrawn from the lower end of the hookand carried within the recess in the head, so as to leave free passagefor the rings. A spring M is secured at N to the head and connected withthe plug, as indicated at O, in order that said plug may be held in itsnormally-depressed position, and yet when it is necessary to draw theplug upward this is accomplished by grasping the knob P and overcomingthe action of the spring.

A stop-shoulder Q is formed upon the dog, which comes in contact with asimilar shoulder R upon the interior wall of the hook, thereby limitingthe rotary movement of the dog for the obvious purpose of preventing thenose thereof from describing too large a seg ment.

A flat wall S is formed upon the dog, extending from the notch K to itsperiphery, and this wall, coincides with the forward wall of the plug,so that when the latter is in its normally-depressed position this wallenters into engagement with the wall of the plug, thereby locking thedog against rotation in either direction, the advantage of which is toprevent any accidental disengagement of the neck-yoke from the hook bythe swinging of the dog otherwise than by the movements of the plug, aswill be readily understood.

From this description it will be seen that no parts project from thehead sufficiently to entangle the lines therewith, and, furthermore,even though the traces may become detached, yet the team will besecurely hitched to the pole by means of the neck-yoke, which cannot bedisplaced, either by a backing movement or a forward-drawing movement,and this is of great importance in heavy vehicles, since often greatdamage is done by the accidental detachment of the traces and theinability thereafter to keep control of the movements of the vehicle.

Another advantage of my improvement is,

that it may be quickly applied to any tongue, since it is made insections adapted to embrace the end of a tongue, and may be eithersecured there by rivets O or bolts having threaded ends forthe'reception of suitable nuts.

In the manufacture of myimprovement but little skilled labor isrequired, since all of the parts may be cast, with the exception of thespring, and the assemblage thereof is exceedingly simple, requiring onlythe placing of the dog and plug in position and the securing of thesections of the head to the pole...

Having thus fully described ,myinvention what I claim as new and usefulis 1. As anew article of manufacture, a neck yoke holder consisting oftwo sections adapted to embrace the end of avehicle-tongue, a hookformed upon the end of this holder, a dog pivoted therein, a plugadapted to operate said dog, and a spring for holding said plug in itsnormal position.

2. A neck-yoke holder consisting of two sections adapted to embrace theend of avehiclev vehicle-tongue, hooks formed upon each of saidsections, a dog pivoted between the sections and provided with astop-shoulder for limiting its rotary movement, a plug also fittedbetween the sections, a lug projecting from said plug into engagementwith anotch formed in the dog, a spring secured to the sections and tothe plug, and a knob for withdrawing said plug upward, as specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

DONALD MURRAY. Witnesses:

J AS. P. M ToHELL, F. F. FALT.

